Using biomass for energy is an important part of the renewable energy mix. However, bioenergy production should follow EU resource efficiency principles, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). This means extracting more energy from the same material input, and avoiding negative environmental effects potentially caused by bioenergy production.

The 2012 potential estimates refer to the EU’s agricultural bioenergy potential in 2020 for 3 storylines. These storylines explore plausible bioenergy development paths from a resource efficiency perspective under three specific sets of economic and political assumptions.

The potential estimates refer to the EU’s agricultural bioenergy potential in 2020 for 3 storylines. These storylines explore plausible bioenergy development paths from a resource efficiency perspective under three specific sets of economic and political assumptions.

The graph illustrates that energy systems differ in the extent and complexity of their impacts by presenting the projected life cycle land use of fossil, nuclear and renewable electricity systems in 2030. To understand the implications of increased bioenergy production, it is important to recognise that the land used for energy cropping is a natural resource, comprising soil, minerals, water and biota. Where bioenergy involves energy cropping it often necessitates changes to land use, with significant implications for related systems as well Other renewable technologies do also use some land and so do fossil and nuclear systems but the area is comparatively small. Nevetheless these technologies have other limitations.

The 2012 study potential estimates refer to the EU’s agricultural bioenergy potential in 2020 for 3 storylines. These storylines explore plausible bioenergy development paths from a resource efficiency perspective under three specific sets of economic and political assumptions.